Looks like our love of the scruff is biological.

The rise of the bearded man has become quite a phenomenon these last couple of years. With parties like Must Love Beardsbecoming increasingly popular and tons of online galleries dedicated to the scruff look, it makes you wonder, where did it all begin?

Perhaps it started when we all witnessed Drake grow some fur on his face. Or maybe it’s because of the burst of interest in seasoned men, with internet sensations like “Mr. Steal Your Grandma“spreading across the web.

But there seems to be more to the beard craze beyond internet fads. According to the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, men with full beards are viewed as being more attractive for long-term relationships.

Researchers at the University Of Queensland in Australia asked 8,520 women to look at photos of men and rank them in order of their physical attractiveness.

The findings showed that men with stubble were rated most attractive for flings, while their bearded counterparts were seen as more attractive for long-term.

“Our findings suggest that beardedness may be attractive when judging long-term relationships as a signal of intrasexual formidability and the potential to provide direct benefits to females,” Dr. Barnaby Dixson, lead researcher, wrote in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology.

It appears the bearded look denotes perceptions of masculinity, aggressiveness, and maturity.